BERKSHIRE BREWING COMPANY

Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale - South Deerfield MA - 5.3%ABV

by Derek Brewlander | July 19th, 2012

Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale is a very enjoyable American Pale Ale brewed locally by Berkshire Brewing Company in Deerfield, Massachusetts. To start out with, this is a well carbonated beer that pours a very pale cloudy golden yellow and has about a 2 and half to 3 finger head that quickly dissipates and settles lightly into a ring atop its body. It has pretty good lacing, leaving a clean design of foam on the sides of the glass. The aroma is a sweet but mild one, composed of grains, sweet malts, caramel, with even a hint of something that reminds me of melon. The hops are extremely light in the aroma and barely make their way through in that aspect. The taste and feel of this beer are definitely its top qualities. The flavor is an outstanding blend of grainy earthy malt sweetness up front that finishes with a light floral bitterness. Hints of fruit (still want to say melon) are apparent throughout, and it has a nice rich aftertaste. It has a great feel to it; medium bodied, rich and very smooth texture with an exceptionally clean finish. While some people might think that it could be a little hoppier or that it is a bit mild, I think that it is just well balanced. Someone once described this beer is “easy to like” and I think that is a perfect way to describe it, it is absolutely an easy beer to like, no matter what your taste; and if you are new to the world of craft beers, this is definitely a great beer to start with! I know I am going to pour another one as soon as I post this, and I recommend you to do the same. Cheers!